If you’re drinking in the Spanish capital of Madrid, you’re likely to receive complimentary tapas with your beer or wine – much like the free aperitivo that comes with your drink in Italy. The same goes at Bar Madrid, Norwood’s intimate new all-day wine bar by expat David España Gallardo, who’s bringing a bit of Spanish culture to The Parade.
“I wanted to share my love and passion for food and drink and our approach to eating in Spain,” says España Gallardo, who wants to greet Norwood locals at the start and end of their days. “In Madrid … the bar is the place where you start the day with a coffee, go back for an aperitivo before lunch and later share time with family, friends or colleagues after work.”
Drop by from 8am for coffee by Hindmarsh roastery Coffee in Common, a Portuguese tart from nearby Saudade and a croissant from Magill’s Prove Patisserie, which also supplies baguettes filled with the likes of Wagyu beef or pumpkin and feta. The afternoon is dedicated to wine and those complimentary tapas and pintxos, like Gildas, Spanish cheeses and cured meats, including the “Rolls Royce of jamon” – acorn-fed jamon iberico, which España Gallardo is importing from Spain himself.
“You will not try something better than this [jamon] from Guijuelo, Salamanca, Spain,” he says. “These Iberian pigs [roam] free all day around the acorn trees … the fruit is what gives their meat that unique flavour. And the jamon is cured for a minimum of 730 days.”
The wine list is largely Spanish, naturally, and drawn from España Gallardo’s personal collection – including bottles of tempranillo, garnacha (grenache), albarino, and the lesser known verdejo – alongside local producers like Clare Valley’s K1 and the Barossa’s Eden Hall. There are also beers from Stepney’s Little Bang Brewery and soft drinks by Strangelove.
España Gallardo moved to Adelaide in pre-Covid 2020 with his now-wife, Adelaide-raised Catriona Morgan. The pair met in Madrid in 2018 when they became housemates and were engaged by late 2019. While Morgan runs family business Natural Floors around the corner in Stepney, España Gallardo is leading the all-Spanish team at Bar Madrid, and he wants to cultivate a close-knit community of Spanish expats, Hispanophiles and Norwood locals.
“If someone wants a recommendation for Spain, I can give you that. Or if you want to practise your Spanish you can come in and chat with me in Spanish,” says España Gallardo. There are also Spanish magazines to read if you want to brush up on your language skills.
Further shaping the convivial vibes is the long communal table running down the centre of the room, built from recycled timber by España Gallardo. The intimate, unfussy, cellar-door-like space also features framed posters from Madrid’s annual festival, San Isidro, and red carnations, the national flower of Spain.
Bar Madrid
4/47 The Parade, Norwood
Hours:
Daily 8am–late
